Daz 3D consistently expands its digital character library, and the release of Giselle 6, a Genesis 2 figure, was met with considerable excitement within the 3D art community. Joining the ranks of Victoria 6 and Olympia 6, Giselle promised a new level of versatility and artistic potential. Initially offered at $79.95, a Platinum Club membership discount quickly brought the price down to a more accessible $39.18. For those who took advantage of early week promotions by purchasing new weekly releases, even steeper discounts were available, making the Giselle Starter bundle an exceptionally attractive deal. For instance, through combined discounts, the bundle could be acquired for as low as $32.10, representing significant value for the content included.
Alt text: Giselle 6 character bundle interface in Daz Studio, showcasing included figures and assets.
Being a Genesis 2 character, Giselle 6 inherits the compatibility and asset-sharing capabilities of the Genesis 2 framework. This means seamless integration with existing libraries of clothing, hair, and morphs designed for other Genesis 2 figures like Victoria and Olympia. Daz 3D offered Giselle in various packages, including a base figure and Starter and Pro bundles. While the Pro bundle typically offers a comprehensive collection, the Starter bundle for Giselle 6 proved to be a compelling choice for many users right from the start. Interestingly, despite Giselle’s apparent design leaning towards fantasy and fairy themes, key elements like fairy wings were not included in the Starter bundle and were instead offered separately or within the Pro bundle. Another character, Iridessa, did include wings, but her overall aesthetic leaned more towards insect-like rather than traditional fairy.
The Giselle 6 Starter bundle packed a substantial amount of content, featuring the Giselle 6 base figure, the Iridessa and Eruanna figures, the Faertara and Spriteling outfits, the Sparkle Hair asset, and a collection of Fairy Tales Poses.
Initial test renders of Giselle 6 revealed a youthful, slender physique, reminiscent of a teenager and perfectly suited for fairy-themed artwork. However, her adaptable base form also hinted at broader possibilities. With the application of different textures and head morphs, Giselle could easily be transformed into a compelling alien character, demonstrating her inherent versatility beyond the initial fairy concept.
Alt text: Giselle 6 character model in Daz Studio, displaying upper body clothing options from the starter bundle.
Alt text: Giselle 6 character render showcasing full body clothing options included in the Daz Studio bundle.
Alt text: 3D render of Giselle 6 with varied clothing styles, highlighting the versatility of included outfits.
Alt text: Giselle 6 figure in different clothing sets, demonstrating clothing asset compatibility within Daz Studio.
Examining texture options, a base mat and a “velvet” texture were available. The visual difference in renders appeared subtle, potentially influenced by lighting conditions used in the test. The texture maps included nipples but notably omitted genitalia, suggesting a youthful character design, although Daz 3D did not explicitly categorize her as such. This design choice encourages responsible and tasteful use of the character in renders.
Alt text: Close-up comparison of Giselle 6 textures in Daz Studio, showcasing base and velvet texture variations.
Here’s a closer look at Giselle’s facial features.
Alt text: Detailed facial render of Giselle 6, highlighting her default features and youthful appearance in Daz Studio.
Standard subsurface scattering levels (25%, 50%, and 75%) were included, providing control over skin realism in renders. A range of eye colors further enhanced customization.
Alt text: Selection of eye color options for Giselle 6 character customization within Daz Studio.
Makeup options added another layer of personalization.
Alt text: Variety of makeup styles available for Giselle 6, enhancing character expression and visual style in Daz Studio.
The Eruanna character variation offered two distinct morphs: a younger and a slightly older version, providing subtle age customization.
Alt text: Eruanna morph for Giselle 6, showcasing a younger character variation in Daz Studio.
She also included elf-ear morphs for fantasy-oriented scenes.
Alt text: Elf ear morph applied to Eruanna character in Daz Studio, demonstrating fantasy customization options.
Eruanna also came with her own set of makeup styles.
Alt text: Makeup options for the Eruanna character in Daz Studio, providing distinct aesthetic choices.
Alt text: Different makeup styles applied to the Eruanna figure, showcasing customization possibilities within Daz Studio.
The Iridessa character stood out with a more unconventional, almost insectoid or bat-like aesthetic. While her facial features might not appeal to all users, her body sculpt presented a more mature and defined physique compared to the default Giselle 6.
Alt text: Iridessa character morph for Giselle 6, presenting a unique, stylized figure in Daz Studio.
Alt text: Render of Iridessa character, highlighting her distinct facial features and mature body sculpt in Daz Studio.
Iridessa offered elaborate makeup options and, notably, a tattoo overlay. This feature points towards the broader potential for character customization within Daz Studio. While this particular tattoo is not detailed, it opens the door to imagine users incorporating diverse forms of body art, including tattoos that reflect personal styles or even symbolic representations. In a creative context, artists might explore using Daz Studio to design characters with tattoos that tell stories, express identities, or simply enhance visual appeal. Thinking about diverse representation, one could even envision using these tools to create characters with tattoos inspired by various cultural motifs or personal narratives.
Alt text: Tattoo overlay option for Iridessa in Daz Studio, showcasing body art customization possibilities.
The bundle included a collection of poses, predominantly sitting and standing poses.
Alt text: Selection of sitting poses included in the Giselle 6 starter bundle for Daz Studio.
Alt text: Standing poses for Giselle 6 demonstrating pose asset integration within Daz Studio.
…along with some dancing and jumping poses, all exuding a delicate, whimsical, fairy-like quality. These pose selections reinforced Daz 3D’s marketing of Giselle as a gentle fantasy character, rather than a warrior or action-oriented figure.
Alt text: Dancing pose for Giselle 6, emphasizing the fairy-like and whimsical nature of included poses.
Alt text: Jumping pose for Giselle 6, further illustrating the delicate and fantasy-oriented pose collection.
Given the fairy theme, it seemed logical to include fairy wings in both Starter and Pro bundles. However, they were exclusively part of the Pro bundle initially, requiring a separate purchase for Starter bundle users who desired them.
Alt text: Fairy wings asset for Giselle 6 in Daz Studio, highlighting the separately available accessory.
Five material options were available for the wings, which were also fully posable and compatible with any Genesis 2 character due to their Gen 6 asset designation.
Alt text: Posable fairy wings attached to Giselle 6, demonstrating asset compatibility and customization in Daz Studio.
The included fairy poses were designed with wings in mind, often featuring Giselle with her feet lifted off the ground, creating a floating or flying impression.
Alt text: Fairy pose with Giselle 6 slightly elevated, showcasing pose design for winged characters in Daz Studio.
The Faertara outfit stood out as a particularly appealing addition. Its detailed design made it suitable for a wide range of fantasy renders, transcending purely fairy-themed scenes.
Alt text: Giselle 6 wearing the Faertara outfit, demonstrating the detailed fantasy clothing asset.
Alt text: Close-up view of the Faertara outfit on Giselle 6, highlighting the intricate details of the clothing texture and design in Daz Studio.
A close-up view revealed the intricate details of the outfit’s design.
Alt text: Detailed render of Faertara outfit texture, showcasing high-resolution details for Daz Studio assets.
Additional textures for the Faertara outfit were also available separately, expanding customization options. The Sparkle hair asset offered a wide array of color choices.
Alt text: Faertara outfit texture variations for Giselle 6, displaying customization options for clothing assets.
Alt text: Different texture styles for the Faertara outfit, highlighting visual customization within Daz Studio.
Combining textures, materials, characters, clothing, hair, and poses enabled users to create diverse and visually striking fairy characters.
Alt text: Render showcasing customized Eruanna character with mixed assets, demonstrating creative possibilities in Daz Studio.
The Spriteling outfit offered another distinct style. The included wings were a separate prop, attachable to any character, but their bug-like design differed from typical butterfly fairy wings, leaning towards a Tinkerbell-inspired aesthetic.
Alt text: Giselle 6 in the Spriteling outfit, showing the Tinkerbell-inspired fairy clothing set.
Alt text: Spriteling outfit details on Giselle 6, highlighting the design and texture of the clothing asset in Daz Studio.
Using the Iridessa character with these outfits created a more “evil” fairy look, demonstrating the versatility of character combinations.
Alt text: Iridessa character in Spriteling outfit, creating a contrasting “evil fairy” aesthetic in Daz Studio.
To showcase Giselle in a rendered scene, the Hammam environment by Jack Tomalin was utilized. Giselle, outfitted in the Faertara outfit and fairy wings, was placed within the Hammam scene.
Alt text: Giselle 6 rendered in Hammam environment, initial scene setup in Daz Studio.
Initially posed sitting on the central platform, the scene felt somewhat bare.
Alt text: Giselle 6 seated on Hammam platform, a basic render scene within Daz Studio.
Adding substantial vegetation filled out the scene and enhanced visual depth.
Alt text: Hammam environment with added vegetation, enhancing scene detail in Daz Studio.
Opening the door behind Giselle to allow sunlight to enter and adding exterior vegetation further improved the scene’s ambiance.
Alt text: Exterior vegetation added to Hammam scene, enriching the background in Daz Studio render.
Adjusting camera position and depth of field refined the composition.
Alt text: Camera and depth of field adjustments in Hammam scene, refining the visual focus in Daz Studio.
This iteration significantly improved the overall visual appeal.
Alt text: Enhanced Hammam scene render with Giselle 6, showcasing improved lighting and composition in Daz Studio.
Minor vegetation clipping issues were addressed by rendering separate layers and compositing them in Pixelmator. Grass was added to blend the platform with the ground.
Alt text: Layered render of Hammam scene, addressing vegetation clipping and refining ground details in Daz Studio.
Layering and erasing protruding plants in Pixelmator refined the final image.
Alt text: Pixelmator editing interface showing layer adjustments for vegetation removal in Daz Studio render.
Alt text: Pixelmator editing interface showing final vegetation adjustments for clean render output from Daz Studio.
The refined render achieved a polished look.
Alt text: Final render of Hammam scene with Giselle 6, pre-post-processing in Daz Studio.
Post-processing with sun flares, bokeh, and color temperature adjustments finalized the image.
Alt text: Final post-processed render of Hammam scene with Giselle 6 at sunset, showcasing final artistic touches.
The Faertara outfit’s appeal led to its application on Victoria 6 within a recycled “Order of the Wolf” set.
To expedite the process, a pre-existing set was repurposed.
Alt text: Victoria 6 in recycled set with Faertara outfit, demonstrating asset reuse in Daz Studio.
Victoria 6 was posed on a repositioned column with depth of field adjustments.
Alt text: Depth of field adjustment on Victoria 6 render, focusing the visual composition in Daz Studio.
Rendering and post-processing created a compelling final image.
Alt text: Final render of Victoria 6 in night ruins scene, showcasing post-processing and artistic style.
The positive reception of the Hammam render led to Daz 3D featuring it in their promotions, highlighting the character’s appeal and the artist’s skill.
Alt text: Daz 3D promotional image featuring Hammam at Sunset render with Giselle 6, highlighting community recognition.
